Pregnancy Hormone

Pregnancy hormone: discovery of cellular receptors

The pregnancy hormone, also known as relaxin, has long been the subject of research by scientists. This hormone performs many functions in a woman's body during pregnancy, including the growth and dilation of the cervix. However, until recently it was not known how relaxin interacts with the cells of the body.

Changes in relaxin levels in a woman's body can lead to various problems during pregnancy. For example, insufficient amounts of relaxin can lead to complications during labor, such as fetal distress, as well as delayed labor. Despite the fact that relaxin was discovered more than 75 years ago, its mechanism of action remained unknown until recently.

Californian scientists from Stanford were able to identify cellular receptors that bind relaxin, which made it possible to more deeply understand the mechanism of its action. Scientists examined two proteins, LGR7 and LGR8, which act as receptors for relaxin. It turned out that these receptors are located not only in the reproductive system, but also in the heart, brain, kidneys and other organs.

This discovery is of great importance, since the pregnancy hormone plays an important role not only in the reproductive system, but also in other parts of the body. For example, relaxin causes the growth and formation of new blood vessels, which may be useful in treating cardiovascular disease. In addition, relaxin may improve brain function.

The discovery of cellular receptors for relaxin may lead to the creation of new drugs that will be able to regulate the level of the hormone in the body and help with various diseases. In addition, this discovery will help to better understand the mechanism of action of relaxin and its effect on the human body.

Thus, the discovery of cellular receptors for relaxin is an important step in the study of the pregnancy hormone and may lead to the creation of new drugs that can cope with many problems that often arise during pregnancy, as well as other diseases.